Revelation of My Heart: The Murderous Truth
"Y-You...! You...! I hate you! How could you do this to me? That was the last thing I had left of my parents! I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I. HATE. YOU." The screams could be heard even through the closed car doors and windows. People the car passed by on the road looked at it in wonder. What a marvel? Occasionally, there would be a Soul that had once resided in the human world, who didn't run to see it, but still stared as they were overtaken by some sort of nostalgia. As it bumped and rocked on the dirt road, the screaming only got louder. Sayama was not a happy passenger. "I'm sorry, but this is stupid! Why would you flirt with me if you knew this was going to happen?! What am I supposed to do for a living now!? I'm surprised you didn't just rape me and run away; I would have been MUCH happier!" Frantically, she pulled at the handle to the door. Of course, it was locked! And she was being kidnapped! This was perfect; just too perfect! Met a guy, thought he was nice, but then it turns out he's part of an underground crime syndicate and a serial killer, so everyone comes and wrecks her shop! Perfect! "And then you kidnap me too; guess it wasn't enough to ruin my life, huh...?" A lesser man would've been crying by now. However, Shou remained silent, his head low, his arms folded across the chest, and his hat and head lowered in an attempt to cover his face. His red, long hair did the rest of that, however, completely obscuring his view. He took every harsh word like a man, like a stone wall. He didn't allow himself to react to her, feeling guilty that he had gotten involved with him in the first place. He was sorry that it had ever happened to her, of all people. She hadn't deserved any of it. All of it was supposed to be directed to him and him alone. But those bastards just had to go and destroy an innocent's life. For no reason at all. As they both were sitting in the backseat, there were two less than happy people at the driver's and passenger's side. Angelika wasn't allowing herself to show much emotion, only a flicker of annoyance at the other woman's voice. She was also slightly disappointed in Shou. Hadn't she warned him that this would happen? The man just didn't know when to listen! But, at least it didn't hinder anything of her own agenda... she didn't want her men being uprooted by such emotion. On the driver's side.... Oliver was just about ready to blow. The screaming of Sayama already brought about the urge to just pull out his pistol and shoot a big old "stop crying like a bitch" bullet right into her face. However, this car (which they had stolen) was clean and new. He didn't want blood staining the seats and making it an obvious target for Shinigami police. Secondly, Shou would clearly be pissed at him for killing his girlfriend. He had already fought the kid off before, and they just nearly about killed each other before Ms. Kraut intervened. However, judging by the signs of tightening fingers on the wheel, narrowed eyes, and gritted teeth, he was slowly allowing his personal interests override his logic. Why couldn't Harber-Bomber leave the bitch behind him? It was ridiculous and pointless to take her with them! Momentarily, Sayama directed her attention away from Shou, and to the other two passengers. The eccentric man and woman with something up her butt... But she wasn't mad at them. They hadn't done anything to ruin her life. And... she could see her temper was getting the better of her... She'd deal with the situation as it presented itself. "Excuse me...." She began, speaking quietly and politely. Her words were for Angelika. "Could you please tell me where you're taking me?" "Hm?" Angelika craned her head over the seat in order to give a questioning look. "Actually, we weren't planning on taking you anywhere." She admitted, allowing a light shrug of her shoulders. "Yoshizawa took it upon himself to take you within our custody. You would have to ask him yourself." Though she attempted to sound pleasant, the apathy was clear in her voice. As Oliver reached for the radio, he looked towards the silent man with a scowl. "Yeah. Where're we dropping off this banshee bitch? The sooner we get rid of 'er, the better." "I understand you may be jealous because you're not getting any--" Sayama coughed, obviously displeased at using the expression, "--but it's still not polite to give anyone such nicknames, Mr. Tits." Immediately, Angelika snickered, unable to control it. Immediately, she slid her hand to her mouth, glancing over at the rather dumbfounded Oliver. He held that expression for a moment, but scoffed and turned himself away. "Whatever..." He muttered, annoyed that he couldn't fight with his mouth as well as his guns. He switched the radio dial in order to flip through the channels. "Nah....eh.... oooh, nasty.... fuckin' retarded...." He muttered for a moment more, before his voice abruptly aimed itself back at Shou. "Hey, Jap, you never answered me back there. Where are we taking her?" But, still the man remained silent. "Hmph." At the mention of his supposed nickname, Sayama diverted her gaze back out the window. The scowl on her face was ever-present. "Didn't give me time to get anything, and now I don't even recognize the neighborhood. Perfect... Just perfect..." She was only slightly concerned that she was upsetting him. She'd be more concerned if he started striking her; that would certainly end any attraction she still possessed towards him; but at the moment, she was only concerned with herself. What was she going to do, once they disposed of her? Oliver smirked, an idea forming within his head. "Maybe we can pawn her off to some underground boss for some extra money. No missions can be a bore for the wallet, and now that she's associated with a serial killer...." At the emphasization of his words, he saw his body flinch a little. "...she might have a good price on her. With the way she dressed last night, I think she'll be right at home with--" "She's not being traded off." The tone was calm, but the venom was all too clear. However, it didn't phase Oliver any. In fact, it only seemed to amuse the man even more. "Then what? We don't have anything to do with her. It'd be so easy to just dump her on the street and let her walk all the way home!" He pressured. "We're going to keep her at our base for a few days, just to make sure that the people who did that to her won't find her any time soon. Hatred can go far, and when someone uses it as an ignition for violence, the resulting fire can spread to whatever direction for who knows how long. She has nothing to do with my criminal actions, and I intend to keep it that way." This earned a sympathetic look from Sayama. She was almost tempted to just forgive him, and start leaning on him, flirting with him again; making him happy, and helping to convince him that everything was okay... Almost. Instead, she stared like a statue out the window, almost considering killing the man sitting in front of her for his insolent remarks. Sell her off to an underground boss? Apparently, they didn't know how well she could handle herself. Still, she could guess they were at a higher level of power than she was... But that wouldn't stop her from trying, would it? At least, from trying to kill the rude one. The other two could do with her as they pleased. "Makoto-san." Shou's voice had lost its venom when it was directed towards her, returning to a solemn tone. "That was just it. I didn't know this would happen. They always came after me, because I was the one to blame. Instead, they all took the cowardly route and attacked you instead. I had nothing to do with the vandalism of your shop." "I understand, Shou... It's okay... I just want some time to rest." Sayama replied earnestly. She wanted to lean on him. Badly. But it would be inappropriate; if he pulled her towards him, it'd be an entirely different story. But, why would he do that if he thought she was mad at him? So there was zero chance, wasn't there? She sighed... The window would have to do... Immediately, this caused him to raise his head a little, his bleak eyes peering at the woman at the sound of her earnest voice. "....strange." He remarked dryly. "Although I don't believe I'm forgiven, I'm surprised your tone lightened so quickly...." After all, he had just said it himself; hatred ran deep. According to her, he had just destroyed her way of life as she knew it. Wouldn't that stir up a lot more emotion? "I'm not a very hateful person. I still dislike you. But I don't hate you, and I understand how circumstances led to what happened. I doubt it helped that your two companions murdered about twenty people, but that's okay, too. I heard it was in self-defense." "Not completely, no." "Heck no." Both of these denying statements were said by the two in question, who shared a brief moment of surprise as they glanced at each other. However, it soon faded away as they turned back towards their respective positions. Oliver was the one to speak first, his voice easy-sounding and yet spiteful as he spoke. "I was shootin' the fuckin' cowards in the back! Whoever told you it was self-defense needs to get their brain checked out! Hahahaha!" "Mhm." Sayama hummed. She didn't want to be bothered anymore. And, she was sure that if she just ignored Oliver, he would go away. Like a neglected animal, maybe he'd just crawl off and die on his own. Her eyes closed slowly, surveying the countryside until they closed completely, after which she drifted off to sleep. This was when Shou allowed himself to stare at the woman. She looked quite peaceful and at ease, at least for the moment. She said she didn't hate him.... but it was still because of him that the mobsters decided to destroy her shop. He was just at fault, whether he wanted it or not. Even so, she allowed herself to forgive so easily. A part of him scolded her for her easily trusting nature. He was a criminal.... why was she taking so much ease with him? And more importantly, why was he allowing himself to ease into her? He just didn't understand.... Leaning back, he closed his eyes and drifted in his own thoughts. ---- Sayama woke up alone. The first thing she noticed was how empty the room seemed. Everything familiar to her had vanished, leaving a strange emptiness inside of her. It was like something that was supposed to be there was taken away, but she couldn't remember what. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite place it. Her eyes flickered to the empty side of the bed. Why did she even bother to buy one this big? She was barely able to work up the courage it took to pull herself out of bed and undress. As she entered the bathroom, she looked in the mirror for a moment. She was what most men would consider attractive... A man would at least tap her before he decided to run away, couldn't he? At least then she would know he wasn't interested in a romantic relationship, and was just horny... Sniffling, but keeping a stiff upper-lip, Sayama climb into the tub for her shower. She turned the shower nozzle all the way to the side; at the hottest possible tempurature, it would scald her, but it would be relaxing. Afterwards, she stepped out, dried herself off, and then began brushing her hair and applying her makeup. Maybe it was because she was drunk? He didn't want to take advantage...? That could have been it! But then, why didn't he ask her if she wanted to go out again? Did she make too much of a fool of herself? These thoughts plauged her as she pulled on her dress. They were comfortable; all the same style of dress, but all different colors. This one was dark blue. She looked like a nun. An attractive nun. After eating a quick breakfast of toasted bread, she opened the door and headed towards her shop. As she headed there, another figure was headed in the very same direction - Shou. He was dressed in his full attire, this time with his sword attached to his waist. He had a rather conflicted look about him as he allowed himself to walk towards the shop, heart mixed with guilt and shock. As if expecting a threat to appear at any time, he had his sword on the hilt. It was as if he was dreading what he was going to see, seemingly fearing seeing Sayama again. Was it because he feared he had hurt her feelings with his denial of pleasure, the denial of a chance to see each other again? If so, then why was he even coming? "W.... What..?" A broken shell of a woman stood at the remnants of what used to be her childhood. Shards of glass decorated the ground; in another situation, it might have looked pretty. Like a child had carelessly spilled glitter on a dollhouse, and neglected to clean it up. The rest of the shop, however, did not look as delightful. The door had been busted in; from where she was standing outside, she could see that she didn't want to see the inside. The ceiling had been caved in -- apparently, they had somehow gotten on the roof -- and graffiti covered the walls. WHORE. TRAITOR. LEAVE. Her eyes drifted along the grass that used to be in front of the house. It became obvious that... that they had taken all of the flowers that had been in the shop, and burned them. A large black scorch mark was to her left. .... Why...? Sayama broke down, and began to weep. What could the man do? He couldn't say it would be all right, for it wasn't. The rest of them had marked her, branded her and excommunicated her. There was nothing all right about that, was there? Therefore, he just stood silently and watched her cry. However, he found his feet slowly moving forward, touched by the raw emotion that was showing. Despite everything, he wanted to embrace her, to show her that he was there for her. He wanted to make her feel better.... And therefore, he kneeled down to her level when he got close, placing a hand onto her shoulder. She flinched... and then, after she realized who it was, generally relaxed. She didn't understand it... any of it. But he was here now... She accepted his presence. He was her last costumer... So he was special. This distorted way of thinking is what led her to lean into him, and then hug him, sobbing into his shoulder. "I owe you an explanation." Shou embraced her, making a home for her within his arms. His face was nearly buried into her long hair. It was a guilty pleasure he had at the moment, for he knew it would fade away the moment he told her. "They didn't do this because they hated you.... or at least, just because they hated you." He said grimly. "It was because they know who I am.... and they loathe me for it." "W....What..?" Sayama hoped he wasn't telling her what she thought he was telling her. "But it's not your fault, right..? Y-You didn't do anything... I didn't do anything..." Her mumbling got quieter and quieter. "Who are you..? You... told me already..." "I haven't told you the whole truth." With that, Shou commited to doing an action in which he never would've thought of doing. With her in her arms, he used a forceful twist to spin her around, his arms immediately locking around her neck in a sleeperhold. "I'm a serial killer. Over two hundred souls have been slain, their blood on my hands." He whispered, tightening his hold so that she would fade away as quickly as possible. All the meanwhile, however, he was keeping it so that she could keep from passing out in order to listen to him. "Those friends of mine....? They're partners with me in a criminal mercenary business. People and objects alike serve as cargo, whether they make it to their destination.... or not." Sayama would have responded, but her jaw was locked in Shou's sleeperhold. Instead, she weakly pulled at his arms and thrashed her legs, which really only served to tire herself out more. She didn't want to be associated with him anymore. Was he going to kidnap her, and sell her? Was that why he had gotten close? If she could reach her sword, she would cut him in half right this secon-- But then it dawned on her. She had nothing left. She couldn't reach her sword. And she couldn't harm him, even if she was able to. The helplessness settled in on her, and she stopped struggling. "I'm really sorry it had to end like this. I really am...." Shou spoke grimly. "But at least I won't have to do something as disgusting as lie to you anymore." With that, he tightened his hold in order to increase the pressure and quicken the speed that unconsciousness was overtaking her. For a few brief seconds, Sayama struggled a bit more, before finally succumbing to the drowsiness that was overtaking her. Her body was limp, now, and in her sleep, she looked a bit peaceful, though the trails of the tears she had been shedding a moment earlier were still visible in the sunlight. Now he could take her. Lowering himself, he scooped his hands up under the girl's knees, another arm wrapped around her back. His teammates would certainly be enraged over his decision. But, as long as she stayed here, she was now a target of her shop's attackers. They would not allow this to slide so easily, as long as the blood of the ones he killed still could be smelled on his hands. She didn't deserve to die in such a cold and cruel manner. For as long as he could, he would protect her. Even if she hated him for all eternity. ---- Blink. And now, she was awake. Wide awake. And the reality of everything was still as clear to her as it had been when she fell asleep. Sayama heard once that when you fall asleep, the brain used dreams to organize information in the mind. She assumed that when she woke up, she would be able to decide what to do. Sayama was wrong. Upon this realization, she noticed that the rumbling of the car had stopped, along with the sense of vertigo she always recieved while traveling in some kind of vehicle. That was probably what awoke her. "Are we here?" She asked, half expecting an answer. There was a definite possibility that they had just abandoned the car with her inside of it. "Yup." Oliver promptly opened his car door, as did Angelika. They both stepped out, shutting their doors. "Welcome to your new home, Ms. Banshee..." Shou waited a moment before opening his door, stepping out, and then shutting it. He then went over to her side, opened the door, and held out a hand for her. He may have been a criminal, but he was still a gentleman! At least, to her. Maybe he would've done the same treatment for Angelika.... if she wasn't his boss. But, as it was, sadly, he was stuck acting like a good subordinate instead of someone too close. Sayama stepped out briskly, glancing at Shou briefly before taking a few steps away from the car and folding her arms. What was she to do now? Did he expect her to just begin wandering around their destination on her own? Oh, right. She disliked him. Hiding the slight hurt, Shou stepped back from her and turned on his heel, walking away. He allowed his body to drift in the direction of the door, face completely turned away from her. As he approached, Angelika approached Sayama, placing a hand on the shoulder. "It isn't a mansion...." She commented in a briefing tone. "But it's not exactly a prison, either. Since Shou isn't aiming to take you prisoner and protect you instead, this'll be where you'll be staying for whatever amount of time. Make yourself at home, dear...." Shou shoved the doors open. It was quite an apartment-like place, average in appearance. However, despite its quality, it was well-decorated and cleaned up, emphasizing the amount of work put into cleaning it. This didn't even look like a criminal base, but rather any old home owned by the common citizen. Generally, it looked quite comfy inside. "I understand. Thank you for taking care of me." Sayama nodded politely. She would wait until Angelika took her hand off her shoulder before she moved away; she wasn't intimidated in the least, considering she believed it to be a reassuring gesture. "How long do I have to stay here?" Angelika shoved her hands within her pockets, making her way through the doors. "Until Yoshizawa's certain that the coast is clear for you." She answered, taking a glance over her shoulder at the girl. "Which will either be when your "groupies" get bored and stop hunting you, or he decides to do something himself. If you're lucky...." She paused for a moment. "....no. If you're unlucky, the latter option will happen." Then, she stepped inside, leaving Oliver and Sayama outside. However, Oliver would approach the door himself, stopping for a moment beside her. "Welcome home, sweetheart!" He chirped, lowering a hand to rudely slap her rear with a resounding SMACK! "Hope you don't make too much of a mess with your boyfriend! Haha!" With that, he walked briskly inside. A blush appeared on Sayama's face, and her hands quickly shot down to her behind to cover the afflicted area. She wouldn't do anything in retaliation; she knew better, considering she was imposing on the group's hospitality, but the way her bottom lip began to curl signaled she wanted to hurt the man badly. Why couldn't Shou do that!? It seemed that Oliver had unintentionally succeeded in bringing Sayama out of her bad mood. Immediately, Oliver allowed himself to fall on the couch in the living room, grabbing the remote and turning it on. "Hey, Angie!" He called over to Angelika, who was raiding the refrigerator. "Got anything to eat in there?" The German woman in question turned to look over at him, two apples held in her hand. His anticipating look faded away, and he scowled slightly. Unphased, Angelika simply tossed one to him, which he reluctantly caught. "What the hell? Why do you always get this health food crap?" "This isn't Oktoberfest, you moron." Angelika retorted, turning back to look through the refrigerator again. "Not even you can stand drinking beer 24/7, and I would like both of you in top shape. Well, at the very least, you, since Shou doesn't drink much." This made Oliver scoff, rolling the apple around in his hand. "He's just a pussy who can't handle hard liquor. That's what that is...." "Frau Makoto...." Angelika turned her gaze towards Sayama. "Would you like anything?" "Oh!" Sayama snapped out of her daze for a moment. "Uhm... Could I have some celery and some water? If you have any, I mean!... Celery. I mean. Yes. And if you don't have that, an apple would be fine." Sayama sent an earnest smile Angelika's way. With an acknowledging nod, Angelika promptly tossed her the remaining apple. "You may. But, if you don't mind, I'd like you to fetch them yourself in the refrigerator. I apologize, but I dislike giving vegetables through direct contact.... you know. Germs." She explained, making a seat for herself. "I don't mind, but I highly doubt you would have any germs crawling about you, Angelika. Perhaps if it was one of the others here I could see where you were coming from..." Instead of getting the celery, Sayama caught the apple and fixed herself a glass of water. She already had the apple, and there was no reason for her to be picky. This caused Oliver to chuckle, even as he took a bite out of his own apple. "Hey, I resent that, Banshee!" He interrupted. "Besides, I think, if anything, Ruskie would fit in the same category as the three of you in the case of germs." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Wonder where the guy is...." "Oliver..." Sayama hummed. "Why don't you tell me more about yourself? You seem quite fascinating..." In truth, she just wanted some leverage. But it would help pass the time. Some more lies would make for an entertaining story. In the meantime, Sayama took a small bite out of her apple. "Huh?" That's when Oliver gained a surprised look on his face, his eyes shifting towards Sayama. However, immediately it faded towards a more thoughtful look. "Well, there's a lot to say about me, I suppose. Where do you wannna start? Childhood, Adulthood, or how did I manage to make it into this merc business?" He questioned, cocking an eyebrow. Sayama raised one in turn. "What? No degenerative response; no sexist insult; no remark on my appearance, how loud I scream, or how annoying I am? You're disappointing me, Mr.Holmes... But let's start with how you got into the Mercenary Business." Oliver merely rolled his eyes. "All right, then. Just for you, Ms. Banshee...." He retorted, allowing a smirk to cross his face. "I got into the mercenary business because of how good I am with firearms. Assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, you name it, I can kill you with it before you can even bat an eyelash. Generally, I'm the tank of this little group, clearing the way and fucking up everybody who stands in the way." "A bit egotistical, are we?" The woman hummed, but nodded politely at his response, acknowledging that she understood. "Anyway, I only wanted to know your function on the team. Frankly, I have no interest in your personal life, or, really, in you, so you can go crawl in a little hole now or whatever it is you do with your spare time." And, with a final hmph!, she turned her attention to their apparent leader. "Angelika, what do you do?"